Door operating mechanism



Feb. 27, 1934. w. A. SMITH DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY INVENTOR Inf/51.611 17 Feb. 27, 1934. w s n- 1,949,133

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR VIZ/4.613117% Mai.

ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM William A. Smith, Cortland, N. Y.

Application February 26, 1931, Serial No. 518,530 Renewed September 26, 1933 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-94) This invention relates to means for releasing which is designed to be connected 2. rod 20 housed and opening the doors of a garage or other buildin a tubular casing 21 located in the chamber 13. ing of the type whereby the doors or gates auto- The inner or front end of this rod is turned upmatically open upon the approach of a vehicle. wardly and provided with an eye 22 as shown A primary object of the invention is to improve at Fig. 3 and with which is connected a U-shaped .9

and simplify the construction and operation of member 23. One arm 24 of this member extends apparatus of this character to render it reliable through the garage floor adjacent the point of and efficient and yet comparatively inexpensive closing of the doors l1 and is provided with a to manufacture and install. head 25 for a purpose presently to be described.

In carrying out these objects, the invention is The other arm 26 of the member 23 is connected I susceptible of a, wide range of modification withwith a spring projected bolt 27 slidably mounted out departing from the spirit or sacrificing any in a hanger 28 depending from the garage fioor of the advantages of the claimed invention; there and equipped on its upper end above the floor being shown in the drawings for illustrative purwith a bevelled catch 29 designed to engage a poses a preferred and practical form, in which: keeper 30 located on the inner face at the lower 7.

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a garage edge of one of the doors 11. equipped with this door opener and with the Both of the doors 11 are equipped with coiled doors shown in open position; opening springs 31 connected at one end with Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line the door and at their other end with a bracket 22 of Fig. 3; on the inner face of the garage so that when the ll Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the doors are released these springs will operate to garage and its operating mechanism for the doors throw them open into the position shown in Fig. 1. thereof; One of the doors 11 is provided on its inner face Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line with an L-shaped catch member or cross head 32 5 4-4 of Fig. 3; having a laterally and rearwardly extended 80 Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section taken on the slotted foot or lug 33 at its lower end designed to line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and engage the upstanding bolt 24 under the head Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail vertical section of thereof when the door is in closed position. This the catch which secures the door in closed posimember 32 has a laterally extending apertured 3 tion. ear 34 at its upper end with which is engaged 05 In the embodiment illustrated the building to one end of an actuating rod 35, the other end which the invention is shown applied is indicated of said rod being connected with a spring proat 10 in the form of a garage with the doors shown jected latch member 36 mounted in a housing 3'7 at 11, said doors being usually outwardly openon the inner face of the door 11. This latch ing double doors. The approach to the garage member 36 has a headed stud or arm 38 attached 90 is shown in the form of a driveway 12 extending to its inner face, said housing being slotted to flush with the entrance to the garage doors and permit the arm 38 to slide therein. This latch under which is located a longitudinally extending member 36 is designed when the door is closed to chamber 13 terminating beyond the garage door engage a keeper 39 carried by the inner face of 40 entrance inside the garage and at its outer end the front wall of the garage at the top of the door 96 communicating with a well 14 in which is located opening as shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

a spring projected depressible platform 15, con- The rod 35 which connects the L-shaped catch stituting a part of the door opening mechanism. member 32 with the bevelled latch member 36 is This platform or depressible element 15 is as of a length sufficient to hold these members so shown located in the driveway at a point a suitthat when latch member 36 is depressed from 100 able distance from the door and is hinged at its the closing of the door the slotted foot member r r r ut d a h w at 16 and supported 33 will be moved downwardly and caused to stradat its front end by coiled springs 1'7 which nordle the arm 24 0f the p member 23 belOW mally hold the platform raised at its front end the head 25 thereof and the Complete Closing of and inclined downwardly toward its rear end the door will permit the latch member 36 to move 105 flush with the driveway as shown clearly in Figs. upwardly into the keeper 39 and thereby securely 1 and 3. look the door both at the top and bottom.

A web-like arm 18 depends from the lower face A downward pull on the member 23 caused by of the depressible platform 15 and is provided the depression of the platform 15 will cause the with an apertured ear 19 at its lower end with foot 33 to move downwardly thereby disengaging the latch member 36 from the keeper 39 and the coiled spring 31 on the door will force the door open thereby disengaging the foot from the bolt 24 and the door will automatically open. This downward pull on the member 33 also operates to draw down the catch 29 out of engagement with the keeper 30 on the other door thus releasing that door which under the action of spring 31 will fiy open in the same manner as the one above described. The doors being open the car may be driven into the garage and the doors may be manually closed against the tension of the springs 31 when the driver leaves the garage.

The doors will remain open until manually closed and after the car has been housed for the night this may be done and when it is desired to again use it stepping on the platform 15 will open the doors and permit the driver to take out his car.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,

and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without depart ing from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

I claim:

A latch release mechanism for doors comprising a reciprocating rod mounted on a springpressed door, a latch means connected with one end of the rod, a cross head connected with the other end of the rod and having a slotted lug. means provided with an arm having a head adapted to be received by the slotted lug with the head engaged by said lug, said arm adapted to be reciprocated for reciprocating the rod, a reciprocating means for the arm, the head and lug cooperating with the latch means for retaining the door in closed position, and means connected with the arm for retaining a second spring-pressed door in closed position and releasable when the reciprocating means is operated to permit the spring to open the second door.

WILLIAM A. SMITH. 

